#321. Time to Get Down and Dirty
Guan Hong of Huanglong Guild spent the next few days deep in thought after ending his call with Kang Moo-hyuk.
'The restoration and development of the gate opener was led by Vice Guild Master Bi Yuanjun. I merely fleshed out his plans.'
In any guild, an S-rank hunter's influence was formidable, but in Huanglong Guild, Bi Yuanjun's presence was nothing short of imperial.
He held the title of vice guild master, but since the guild master himself had been planted by Bi Yuanjun, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was the true owner of Huanglong Guild.
And that was exactly why Guan Hong hesitated.
'Raising objections to a project led by the vice guild master—no, digging into his connections with the terrorist group Mirage—is dangerous. If it's true, I'm a dead man. Even if it's not, investigating through cooperation with Kang Moo-hyuk could brand me a traitor to the guild.'
But letting it slide conjured visions of Mirage taking over Huanglong Guild, filling him with dread.
One of China's top guilds, puppeteered by the worst terrorist organization?
This wasn't some personal deviation or a single group's corruption—it was on a scale that could topple nations.
Guan Hong, loyal not to the Party but to China itself, found the mere thought horrifying.
Once his mind reached that point, he could finally focus on suspicion over fear.
'Looking back, the acquisition of the gate opener was suspicious from the start. If Mirage had completed and tested it in Xinjiang Uyghur, even if we secured it, similar disturbances should have erupted elsewhere afterward. There should have been multiple incidents of gates opening on dates that didn't match.'
Terror was Mirage's specialty—instilling fear to force their agenda. It would've been the easiest, most reliable method.
Yet, as Kang Moo-hyuk had pointed out, Mirage had never used a gate opener before.
'They tested it but never deployed it, and made no attempt to reclaim the stolen one. I thought it was because Huanglong was too powerful for Mirage to touch... but maybe, as the captain said, they handed it over on purpose...'
That left the most crucial question.
'Why? Why would they do that?'
Simply to collude with Huanglong Guild?
If so, they wouldn't have handed over a smashed wreck. Huanglong had poured three years into restoring the pre-theft device.
After agonizing over it, Guan Hong reached one conclusion.
"I had the premise wrong. It wasn't a completed gate opener."
Huanglong Guild completed it!
'But then it fell back into Mirage's hands?'
There was a high chance it had leaked from within Huanglong.
Guan Hong was convinced.
There were Mirage spies inside Huanglong Guild.
'The key now is whether Vice Guild Master Bi Yuanjun is involved. If he is, I can't resolve this alone. But if he's in the dark, I can use him to purge the spies.'
He realized Huanglong's survival hung on this.
"For the Chinese people, I can't let mere terrorists run wild."
The foreigner who stepped off the Namsan Tower cable car paused midway up the stairs to the observatory, awestruck by Seoul's nightscape.
From afar, the twinkling lights made it look like a dream city untouched by monster worries.
He glanced at the railings lining the path, covered in countless padlocks. He walked along, seeking the perfect vantage for the view. The locks gleamed silver in the city glow.
"Koreans are such romantics. Who gets this into padlocks in a world overrun by monsters?"
Impulsively, he bought one from a souvenir shop. As he fiddled with it in a secluded spot, a voice called from behind.
"That's a bit flashy for sightseeing."
"Oh, Gu Ja-cheon! Long time no see."
"Have you been well, Boss?"
Gu Ja-cheon bowed to the foreigner, who waved it off with a laugh.
"What formality between us?"
"You should've told me you were coming to Korea. I could've prepared a welcome—got a place ready. Let me escort you now."
"Travel's best backpack-style. You experience the real vibe, not some packaged tour."
"And Korea's vibe?"
"Great. Safe and vibrant—rare in the world. Seoul especially. Makes you wonder if cooperating with gates is right."
The foreigner smiled contentedly, resting his arms on the railing to admire the view. Gu Ja-cheon asked softly,
"Is it time?"
"I used to think Korea was a hunter backwater. No S-rank, betrayed by Japan at the Great War's end, left to rot with other nations' silent approval."
Instead of answering, the foreigner rambled on, but Gu Ja-cheon listened quietly.
"Even a year or two ago, it wasn't worth noting. Now? Totally changed. Gave China a bloody nose in Makyung, made Russia's tyrant look like a fool. America's the same. Rumors say Bertrand's heading back to France because of it. Old friend I miss, but not thrilled to see."
"……."
"Made me curious. What changed to put Korea on the map? Joo Se-ah's emergence?"
"Likely. An S-rank is a threat in itself, but stats show nations with them surge overall."
"S-ranks bore me. Something more interesting?"
"Interesting...?"
"What about Kang Moo-hyuk? They say he took down Baekho Guild? Left you unemployed, right?"
Gu Ja-cheon gritted his teeth at the words, hearing rebuke for his failure. He composed himself and explained.
"Not Kang Moo-hyuk. Major guilds allied—that's what went wrong. I'd already left Baekho before it collapsed anyway."
"Huanglong to Baekho, and the new job tanks. Tough luck on the job-hopping."
"I left Huanglong per plan. Regular hunters can't just quit there."
"We went to great lengths to plant you in both. Bad report card—disappointing."
"S-sorry!"
Gu Ja-cheon abandoned self-defense. "Disappointing" from the boss meant groveling—his whims could turn deadly.
"Not that sorry-worthy. But your Iron Will hunter eval pissed me off."
"Wh-what...?"
"84%."
"Pardon?"
"Baek Hyeong-gyu."
Gu Ja-cheon racked his brain. It had to be someone he knew if the boss mentioned it. He finally recalled.
"Yes. From Iron Will..."
"That 84% couldn't even try? Humiliating for me. Wasted good power."
"S-sorry. My gravest sin."
"Not saying it's a death sin?"
Gu Ja-cheon bowed, sweating coldly. The boss's hand rested on his head.
"Reevaluate Iron Will hunters. Especially Kang Moo-hyuk."
"K-Kang Moo-hyuk? He's not a hunter..."
"Russia, America, China, Japan. Mirage shadows report he's no ordinary talent. I like talented ones—not like you, botching jobs."
The hand tightened.
Gu Ja-cheon felt skull-crushing pain. Just before screaming, the hand lifted.
"Can't kill valuable staff. Do it right this time. Got it?"
"Y-yes... Reevaluation report soon."
"This is a pride issue."
Mr. Jo, frustrated by no leads on Mirage, summoned the full team.
"Opponent's S-rank. Not certain, but evading my eyes? Only possible for S-rank."
"Seong Seon-je isn't S-rank."
Man Su-ro objected. Others chimed in.
"Go Eul-ji slipped you too, at Yi Ga-jo."
"Federation folks at the Association—you got caught."
"Slayer infiltration back then too..."
Testimonies piled on Mr. Jo's failures.
"Want to get fired?"
Mr. Jo glared threateningly, but the team stayed calm.
"Gotta job hunt."
"Start our own firm?"
"Vacation time..."
As they rose, Man Su-ro whispered to Mr. Jo.
"Boss—no, team leader. They're top-tier. Can't replace 'em. Even if you could, no one else works with you. They leave, you're solo. Just apologize."
"What? Apologize to me?!"
Mr. Jo's eyes flashed.
She was the world's top spy, pride incarnate.
Time to show them.
"Everyone! Freeze!"
Mr. Jo leaped, blocking the door.
"Unforgivable. Rebellion against your ex-boss, current team leader?!"
Killing intent flared from her eyes; the team froze, gulping.
"If that's how you want it! Eat this!"
Daggers flew from her bosom.
Man Su-ro dove away in panic.
"Dodge! Team leader's ultimate—Ten Thousand Flowers in the Sky!"
The team thought she'd lost it—joking didn't warrant skills.
They scrambled out of range, but her superior rank and skill pinned them. Daggers... plopped? Into their laps.
"Paper?"
"Envelopes?"
Perplexed, they opened them.
"Th-this?!"
"!!"
Mr. Jo dusted her hands, chanting.
"Ultimate... financial baptism."
The team muttered blankly.
"Financial... baptism?"
"That's the ultimate?!"
Mr. Jo scanned the room.
"Stuffed with checks. Still challenge my authority?"
"Loyalty!"
"Love you, team leader!"
They snapped to attention.
Mr. Jo returned to her seat, satisfied.
"Opponent's S-rank, right?"
"If you failed tracking, probably SSS-rank."
"SSSSSS possible."
Loyalty contest ensued. Mr. Jo continued, pleased.
"What we know: S-rank, Mirage, French, lightning affinity. Baek Hyeong-gyu murder. Where to start?"
"Just French."
Man Su-ro answered. Mr. Jo pressed.
"Identity wash possible?"
"Maybe. But no other way. S-rank wouldn't bother hiding much—Illusion's info is nil anyway. Power to topple nations? Why hassle with fake IDs?"
"Good. Time to get down and dirty for once."
The team glared at Man Su-ro, sensing the bomb drop.
"Secure foreigner entry lists two weeks before Baek Hyeong-gyu murder. French first. Match with airport CCTV."
"Two weeks enough?"
Team glares intensified.
Mr. Jo added,
"Terrorists like Mirage won't linger abroad. Also grab bus stops, subways, convenience store CCTV on murder day."
"We checked—mostly wiped."
"That was hours before. Get prior footage. Might catch pre-murder shots. Compare to airport."
At dawn, barely asleep, Kang Moo-hyuk's phone rang.
He sat up from the cot in his office, roused by the urgent tone.
"Kang Moo-hyuk."
-Guan Hong.
Desperation laced the voice. Sleep vanished instantly.
"What is it?"
Hesitation, then a dry cough. Guan Hong spoke.
-Captain...
"Yes."
-I request asylum.
"!!"